Execution matters. But choosing what to execute on matters more. Retreats have been one of the best ways for us to create moments of reflection. To consider our actions for the first part of the year and make sure we are still pointed in the right direction going forward.

When we started building a company 6 years ago, we did a retreat as an experiment. The purpose was to create a kind of artist retreat. Similar to going to Wyoming to create an album or a writer going into the woods to write a book.

The result was the creation of our first product for our business at the time. That retreat also led to the mindset that led to the creation of Unsplash two months later.

Some of our biggest decisions, ways of thinking, and projects over the years trace back to retreats. Time together in a different setting has consistently made a big impact.

As our company evolved, retreats became less about needing to create a big project and more about reflecting on what we’re creating together.

We keep the structure of our retreats open. We do work and make time for other activities too.

One thing we make sure to do is eat meals together daily.

Each retreat we do one team activity we think could have the biggest impact on our daily decision-making.

This time we did a Q/A session each night. Anyone could ask any question for any project going on in Unsplash. The team leading the project was responsible for answering. But anyone could jump in and answer.

Another thing we added this time was more emphasis on physical wellness. This included time for stretching/mobility, workouts, and conversations about healthy habits. We have plans to expand this further to mental wellness in the future.

Each retreat lasts about 7 days. We do one retreat every 7 months. Over years of experimenting, this amount of time and spacing feels right. Retreats are important but too often and they can feel disruptive to flow or other parts of life. Not enough and you can feel disconnected.

A full team retreat is one of the many benefits of being deliberate about keeping a small team. Pound for pound, nothing has been more effective for bringing our team together, creating new ideas, and aligning us all on how our daily work fits into the bigger picture.